The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League is now underway for 36 teams. The highly anticipated draw was held Thursday in what marks the second year of the new league phase, where the previous six-game group stage format has been shifted to eight games all against different teams. Defending their first ever title — as well as…
With the domestic leagues underway, the main event of Europe’s footballing calendar has finally been scheduled. On Thursday, all 36 participants in the UEFA Champions League learned who their eight opponents will be in the opening phase of the 2025-26 installment. Over the past decade, U.S. players have become increasingly relevant to the competition. Last…
MONACO (AP) — Now that the 36 teams contesting the Champions League are set, the draw for the most prized title in European club soccer will be made Thursday in Monaco. Each team will face eight opponents in the opening league phase which runs from September through January. Advertisement The list of teams is more…
MONACO (AP) — José Mourinho and Fenerbahce fell short of returning to the Champions League on Wednesday, losing 1-0 at Benfica in the qualifying playoffs on Wednesday. Benfica — the first club Mourinho coached — had two goals disallowed on video review in the first half before its Turkish forward Kerem Aktürkoğlu scored with a…
Death, taxes, and Chelsea showing interest in young attacking players. On Tuesday, we reported that Chelsea were evaluating the possibility of a move for Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez. The 22-year-old Spain international plays as an attacking midfielder or winger, so he would be adding to an already stacked department for the Premier League side. So what…
Welcome to Inside Barcelona, a new weekly series of articles to follow throughout the 2025-26 La Liga season. Every week, we will bring you our latest information and analysis on the biggest talking points, cutting through the noisy world of all things Barca with reporting you can trust. This week, our writer Dermot Corrigan explores…
You should have had a release clause, Alexander! Imagine the strife and anger that could have been avoided had Isak’s agent insisted on inserting a figure of, say, £120million into the six-year contract his client signed when joining Newcastle United in August 2022. Then again — and please do not take this to be actual…
The 2025-26 season has already begun, but it is not yet clear where Barcelona are going to play their home matches. Barca have not played at their Camp Nou ground since starting a €1.5billion (£1.3bn; $1.8bn) refurbishment project in June 2023, hosting games at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys across the city while works progress….
Chelsea have kicked off the 2025-26 Premier League season fresh off their triumph in the first revamped edition of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, setting expectations sky-high among fans. With the Blues viewed as legitimate contenders for the league title, former Chelsea midfielder and Champions League winner Ramires weighed in on their chances, while…
Real Madrid’s La Liga opener against Osasuna later today marks the latest key moment in the club’s exciting restart with Xabi Alonso as their new manager. Last season was a deeply discouraging one for everyone at the Bernabeu, with no major trophies won and regular disappointments leading to Carlo Ancelotti’s exit as coach. In response,…